IChO 1995 · Theory problem 5

Nitric oxide in biology and iron-sulphur nitrosyl complexes

The action of nitric oxide upon human body is dual. The nitric oxide generated in nerve cells will damage the cells, while the nitric oxide generated in endothelial cells of blood vessels can relax the vessels and control blood pressure.

5.1 Indicate the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of \(\ce{NO}\) molecule using one of symbols \(\pi\), \(\sigma\), \(\pi^*\) or \(\sigma^*\), and indicate the electron(s) residing in the corresponding orbital using symbols \(\uparrow\) and/or \(\downarrow\).

5.2 The relaxation of blood vessels is caused by a series of changes which are mediated by the coordination of \(\ce{NO}\) molecule to iron ion, the latter being a component of an enzyme containing heme. It was known that the coordinated \(\ce{NO}\) behaves as \(\ce{CO}\) molecule (isoelectronic), which one of the following species really exists in the iron complex?

a) \(\ce{NO}\)  b) \(\ce{NO+}\)  c) \(\ce{NO-}\)

5.3 The cell damage is caused by free radical \(\ce{OH}\), which is one of the product of reaction between \(\ce{O2-}\) and \(\ce{NO}\):

Figure 1

in which an intermediate with composition of \(\ce{HOONO}\) is evolved. \(\ce{HOONO}\) is a weak acid. Choose the structural formula with correct bond angles for the intermediate.

Figure 2

5.4 For preservation of meat, sodium nitrite is usually added and as a result \(\ce{NO}\) is, then, formed. Consequently, \(\ce{NO}\) reacts with the sulphur and iron atoms from decomposition of proteins, forming \(\ce{[Fe4S3(NO)7]-}\). The complex anion is bacteriostatic and antiseptic. X-ray crystallography shows that the complex anion has a structure as shown below:

Figure 3

i) Blacken all the circles corresponding to iron atoms and add symbols Fe(A), Fe(B), Fe(C) and Fe(D) beside the circles in the sequence of top \(\rightarrow\) left \(\rightarrow\) right.

ii) The configuration of \(3d\) electron shell of the iron atoms has been studied with modern structural analysis. Knowing that the mean oxidation number of the four iron atoms is \(-0.5\), give their configurations of \(3d\) shell, respectively. Assume that each iron atom adopt \(sp\) hybridization.

5.5 \(\ce{[Fe4S3(NO)7]-}\) anion can be reduced and a new complex \(\ce{[Fe2S2(NO)4]^2-}\) is formed which contains a cyclic structure unit of \(\ce{Fe2S2}\).

i) Write the structural formula for the anion \(\ce{[Fe2S2(NO)4]^2-}\).

ii) Give the oxidation state of each iron atom with Arabic numerals.

iii) \(\ce{[Fe2S2(NO)4]^2-}\) can be converted into \(\ce{[Fe2(SCH3)2(NO)4]^n}\), a carcinogen. Which of the following three species is added to \(\ce{[Fe2S2(NO)4]^2-}\): \(\ce{CH3+}\), \(\ce{^{\bullet}CH3}\) or \(\ce{CH3-}\)? Assign the value of \(n\).

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

The complex structures below use extended coordination SMILES: arrows indicate donor-to-metal bonds, and Fe–Fe single bonds represent the localized bonding model explained in the solution. These strings do not specify coordination geometry or spin coupling.

  • 5.1: Nitric oxide, \(\ce{NO}\), [N]=O: HOMO \(=\pi^*\), containing \(\uparrow\); LUMO \(=\pi^*\), empty, namely the other member of the degenerate pair.

  • 5.2: b) \(\ce{NO+}\), the nitrosonium ion, N#[O+].

  • 5.3: B, peroxynitrous acid, \(\ce{HOONO}\), O=NOO. Both the \(\ce{O=N-O}\) and \(\ce{N-O-O}\) angles are bent.

  • 5.4(i): Blacken the four circles carrying NO ligands: label the upper iron A, then the three basal irons B, C, D from left to right. This is Roussin’s black salt anion, \(\ce{[Fe4S3(NO)7]-}\), with coordination SMILES:

[Fe+]12456(<-N#[O+])<-[S-2]3->[Fe-]-4(<-N#[O+])(<-N#[O+])<-[S-2]->1->[Fe-]-5(<-N#[O+])(<-N#[O+])<-[S-2]->2->[Fe-]-6<-3(<-N#[O+])<-N#[O+]

  • 5.4(ii): In the conventional localized bonding model, \[ \boxed{A:3d^7;\qquad B:3d^9;\qquad C:3d^9;\qquad D:3d^9.} \] The corresponding formal oxidation states are \(+1,-1,-1,-1\).

  • 5.5(i): Roussin’s red salt anion, \(\ce{[Fe2S2(NO)4]^2-}\): an alternating four-membered \(\ce{Fe-S-Fe-S}\) ring, with two terminal N-bound NO ligands on each iron and an Fe–Fe bond across the ring. Coordination SMILES:

[S-2]1->[Fe-]2(<-N#[O+])(<-N#[O+])<-[S-2]->[Fe-]2<-1(<-N#[O+])<-N#[O+]

  • 5.5(ii): Each iron has oxidation state \(-1\).

  • 5.5(iii): Add two methyl cations, \(\ce{CH3+}\), [CH3+], formally one at each sulfur. \(n=0\). The product is Roussin’s red salt methyl ester, \(\ce{[Fe2(SCH3)2(NO)4]}\), with coordination SMILES:

C[S-]1->[Fe-]2(<-N#[O+])(<-N#[O+])<-[S-](C)->[Fe-]2<-1(<-N#[O+])<-N#[O+]

Solution

5.1

Nitric oxide has \(5+6=11\) valence electrons. Its valence molecular-orbital occupation is

\[ (\sigma_{2s})^2(\sigma^*_{2s})^2 (\sigma_{2p})^2(\pi_{2p})^4(\pi^*_{2p})^1. \]

The highest occupied level is the doubly degenerate antibonding \(\pi^*\) level, containing just one electron:

\[ \pi^*:\qquad \underbrace{[\uparrow]}_{\text{HOMO, also SOMO}} \qquad \underbrace{[\phantom{\uparrow}]}_{\text{LUMO}}. \]

Thus the HOMO is singly occupied, while the other spatial orbital of the same \(\pi^*\) pair is vacant. The choice of which member contains the electron is arbitrary.

5.2

Carbon monoxide, \(\ce{CO}\), [C-]#[O+], has

\[ 6+8=14\text{ total electrons}. \]

Neutral nitric oxide has \(7+8=15\). Removing one electron therefore produces the isoelectronic nitrosonium ion:

\[ \ce{NO -> NO+ + e^-}, \qquad 7+8-1=14. \]

Equivalently, both carbon monoxide and nitrosonium have ten valence electrons. Consequently, option b, \(\ce{NO+}\), is the required formal description of the coordinated ligand.

5.3

Peroxynitrous acid has the connectivity

\[ \ce{H-O-O-N=O}. \]

The relevant electron-domain counts are:

  • At nitrogen: one double bond, one single bond and one lone pair give three electron domains. The electron-domain arrangement is approximately trigonal planar, and the \(\ce{O=N-O}\) bond angle is bent.
  • At the oxygen between nitrogen and the hydroxyl oxygen: two single bonds and two lone pairs give four electron domains. The electron-domain arrangement is approximately tetrahedral, and the \(\ce{N-O-O}\) angle is also bent.

The ideal reference angles for these electron-domain arrangements are \(120^\circ\) and \(109.5^\circ\), respectively; the problem does not supply exact molecular bond angles. Only B shows both required bends. Its SMILES gives connectivity, without selecting a particular torsional conformation.

The balanced reaction sequence is

\[ \ce{O2^{\bullet-} + NO + H+ -> HOONO}, \]

\[ \ce{HOONO -> NO2^{\bullet} + OH^{\bullet}}. \]

The additional species are the superoxide radical anion, [O-][O]; a proton, [H+]; the nitrogen dioxide radical, O=[N+][O-]; and the hydroxyl radical, [OH].

Homolytic cleavage of the peroxide \(\ce{O-O}\) bond gives one electron to each fragment, producing the two radicals.

5.4(i)

Identify each iron by its directly attached NO ligand or ligands:

Label Circle to blacken Ligands attached to that iron
Fe(A) Upper central circle, immediately below the vertical NO group One NO and three sulfurs
Fe(B) Left basal circle, carrying leftward and downward NO groups Two NO and two sulfurs
Fe(C) Lower central/front circle, carrying the short rightward and downward-left NO groups Two NO and two sulfurs
Fe(D) Right basal circle, carrying rightward and downward NO groups Two NO and two sulfurs

The remaining three core atoms are bridging sulfide ions, formally \(\ce{S^2-}\), [S-2]. Each bridges three irons. Their connections are:

\[ (A,B,C),\qquad(A,B,D),\qquad(A,C,D). \]

Thus A is bonded to all three sulfurs, while each basal iron is bonded to two. Each NO binds through nitrogen, with approximately linear \(\ce{Fe-N-O}\) geometry. The four ligand directions at each iron form a distorted tetrahedral arrangement.

5.4(ii)

The printed \(sp\) assumption appears to require correction to \(sp^3\) to describe these four ligand directions.

Using the formal nitrosonium and sulfide assignments, charge balance gives

\[ \sum_i x_i+3(-2)+7(+1)=-1, \]

so

\[ \sum_i x_i=-2,\qquad \overline{x}=-0.5. \]

Iron is a group-8 element, so an iron with formal oxidation state \(x\) has the \(d\)-electron count

\[ d^{\,8-x}. \]

The conventional localized bonding description has three Fe–Fe bonds: A–B, A–C and A–D. Each iron receives eight electrons from its four ligand donor pairs; each Fe–Fe bond contributes one electron to the count at either end.

Applying the 18-electron count gives, for A,

\[ (8-x_A)+8+3=18 \quad\Longrightarrow\quad x_A=+1,\qquad d_A^7. \]

For each basal iron,

\[ (8-x_{\mathrm{basal}})+8+1=18 \quad\Longrightarrow\quad x_{\mathrm{basal}}=-1,\qquad d_{\mathrm{basal}}^9. \]

The mean oxidation number is therefore

\[ \frac{(+1)+3(-1)}4=-0.5, \]

as required. The formal \(3d\)-orbital occupations before pairing through the metal–metal interactions are

\[ \begin{aligned} A:\quad 3d^7&:\quad [\uparrow\downarrow][\uparrow\downarrow][\uparrow][\uparrow][\uparrow],\\ B,C,D:\quad 3d^9&:\quad [\uparrow\downarrow][\uparrow\downarrow][\uparrow\downarrow] [\uparrow\downarrow][\uparrow]. \end{aligned} \]

These are local electron-counting descriptions, rather than a claim that the complete cluster has six independent unpaired electrons.

5.5(i)

Draw a four-membered ring with iron atoms at two opposite vertices and sulfurs at the other two. Both sulfurs bridge both irons. Attach two terminal, N-bound NO ligands to each iron and show the conventional Fe–Fe bond joining the opposite iron vertices.

This gives the connectivity

\[ \ce{[Fe2(\mu-S)2(NO)4]^2-}. \]

The four-membered ring drawing specifies connectivity; the coordination SMILES does not fix the three-dimensional geometry.

5.5(ii)

The two equivalent iron atoms have oxidation state \(x\). With two sulfides and four nitrosonium ligands,

\[ 2x+2(-2)+4(+1)=-2. \]

Hence

\[ 2x=-2 \quad\Longrightarrow\quad \boxed{x=-1}. \]

Each iron consequently has nine \(d\) electrons. Its electron count, including the Fe–Fe bond, is

\[ 9+4(2)+1=18. \]

5.5(iii)

Each bridging sulfide undergoes methylation to become a bridging methanethiolate ligand, \(\ce{SCH3-}\), C[S-]. Formation of the S–C bond uses a sulfur lone pair and an electrophilic methyl group, represented among the choices by \(\ce{CH3+}\).

The balanced formal methylation equation is

\[ \ce{[Fe2S2(NO)4]^2- + 2CH3+ -> [Fe2(SCH3)2(NO)4]}. \]

The resulting charge is

\[ n=-2+2(+1)=\boxed{0}. \]

The same result follows from the product’s ligand charges, with both iron oxidation states unchanged:

\[ n=2(-1)+2(-1)+4(+1)=0. \]

The solution was checked against the official solution.